International Love
by Mirene the Mermaid
Summary: Kyoko is an international criminal. She has stolen all three of the Lory heirloom weapons: Setsuka's Chain Whip, Natsu's Glass Blade, and the Cursed Spear of Mio. There are currently three people assigned to arrest and retrieve the treasures back from her: Shou, the information seducer, Reino, the psychic phenomenon, and Ren, the master detective. Who will be the first to find her?
1. Second Encounter

Pairings: KyokoxRen, Minor KyokoxShou and KyokoxReino.

Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat! Though I wish it would be updated faster... D;

Author's Note: Hello everyone! This will be my first story venturing into the Skip Beat! archive. (: I hope you will enjoy this chapter... I've actually decided to continue the story, as I deleted this in the past. Beware of mistakes as this is what people would call "fresh off the keyboard" or whatever. And really... I think I'm a sucker for all the guys in Skip Beat... Mostly Ren though. So you'll see plenty of everything fluff in here. But not too much. Anyways, please read and review! :D

Rating: Rated T as of now but is completely subject to change ;D

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

Full Summary: Kyoko is an international criminal. She has stolen all three of the Lory heirloom weapons: Setsuka's Chain Whip, Natsu's Glass Blade, and the Cursed Spear of Mio. There are currently three people assigned to arrest and retrieve the treasures back from her: Shou, the information seducer, Reino, the psychic phenomenon, and Ren, the master detective. Who will be the first to find her?

* * *

Mogami Kyoko was currently inside of the LME Museum of Arts.

She was inside the security room, to be more precise, taking every single key with labels she could find and locking down all the systems, cameras, and electricity power. For some reason, there was no system for the alarm triggers inside the room. LME certainly was a careful little place.

But it was no matter. Alarms were the last thing on her mind - after all, they were nothing she couldn't figure out and avoid with ease. It was only if she triggered them on purpose for fun that might get her caught for once.

International Criminal Kyoko had never been caught in her entire life and had been pursuing her illegal career for about... around five years now. She was now 22 years old - a young, beautiful, and amazingly healthy lady. She had a great future ahead of her; one filled with risks, danger, and most importantly, pizazz.

Kyoko had always wanted an interesting life.

She quickly evacuated the security room, disposing of the keys and locking the door after she quietly closed it. Then she disappeared from the range of sight of an ordinary person walking down the hallway if there was someone actually there at this time of night. Kyoko scurried away from the scene of the botched security.

There it was, the grand hall of the Lory heirlooms, up for an exhibition in the dark museum she had snuck inside of. Museum President Lory had been constantly complimenting and bragging about them since the day he inherited these treasured weapons, dating back to his early ancestors' generations. These, however, were such a high quality and so valued that they had never been used before and were still in perfect condition.

Perfect for use at anytime, to be more precise. Which is why Mogami Kyoko, the master thief, known for her incredible way of escaping the eye of the police, was currently hanging from the ceiling right above the said exhibition.

It was two in the morning according to the clock on the wall. The studios would open again at approximately six at earliest, so there were four hours to spare.

Blinking her eyes, she activated the contact lenses on her eyes under the black mask she was currently wearing on her face, which was unknown to most of the world. The lenses analyzed the security system around the exhibition easily. Alarm triggers were easily seen and avoided as she hopped down silently onto the tiled floor.

Careful not to set off any lasers and sound any alarms, she maneuvered herself through the hallway towards the exhibition's main items and gave herself a minute to enjoy the glory of standing in front of the three treasures. She would surely make use of them, if not having sold them in the black market later.

The tangerine-haired woman pulled out a miniature laser gun and switched it on, the intensity of the red beam burning a hole into the glass. She traced a circle onto the glass and turned the laser off, tucking it back into her black, latex coat pocket. Pushing it with her special adhesive gloves, the glass circle popped out and was silently placed down.

"At long last," she whispered to herself with glee. "The treasures! Oh, Moko is going to be so proud of me! She might even treat me to dinner for my accomplishment!" Her overjoyed thoughts were hidden beneath her thick, black mask though. Kyoko's eyes focused on the whip through the socket holes in the mask. It was the most appealing to her, though she didn't know why. Maybe it just reminded her of that day five years ago... Yes, that was probably why.

Her hand carefully slid in and took out the treasures one by one, replacing them with plastic replicas she had asked Moko to make for her a few months after she had planned this robbery. After the replicas were placed neatly and the original items were in her possession, the circle was stuck back on neatly, the edges unnoticeable from the clean cut of the laser.

The Cursed Spear of Mio and Natsu's Glass Blade were tucked neatly into a large, plastic bag she stuck under her black, latex coat. She then tucked her coat into her black tights for extra protection. The whip she so admired was in her hand, using the other to caress the handle.

"It's beautiful... Setsuka's Chain Whip," she smiled. Then, using the whip, she swung it towards the walls, breaking all of the security cameras. She had already infiltrated the studio's security office and locked down the system, but just in case it was still recording... It didn't matter much anyways, since she had a black mask on. As a decoy from what she originally wanted to steal, she also stole a few jeweled vases and anything else that seemed expensive and was easy for the taking. Once she was done, she silently knocked a few of the stands over to make a small scene. Perhaps she might be able to get a few hours or even days before they realized what was most important was gone. And by then, she might have gotten out of the city. Tokyo was huge, so she would certainly need to give herself some time.

"International Thief Kyoko," she whispered as she climbed the walls with her special gloves to go back up on the ceiling and opened the roof window. "Mission complete."

And she pulled herself outside into the dark night.

"Moko," she said into her cell phone as she sat upon the roof, waiting for her best friend and criminal accomplice to pick up. "Moko, pick up! Moko..." she urged to no one in particular. It was nearly four in the morning and she wasn't willing to take any more risks. After all, this did seem a little too easy. Easy things made her feel uneasy.

Moko didn't pick up.

"Ah, shit." Kyoko grumpily got up; she would have to run back to her hideout without her disguise. Moko always came in some stolen car off the sidewalk and gave her a disguise to wear, but recently Moko had been having trouble finding cars.

"Ah!" Kyoko remembered now. "Moko wanted to do something early this morning, so she wanted to rest. How could I have forgotten?" she laughed as she hopped off the building, a couple stories high from where she was... it was probably the twentieth floor.

Thud.

The criminal landed on the ground on her feet smoothly, retracting the rope that was connected to the roof window where she had escaped from back to her wrist. The black market had plenty of useful tools the world did not know about.

Grinning, she was just about to be on her way when suddenly, a grand light flashed on her. If it weren't for her wearing a mask, she would have been doomed because of the several clicks of what assumed was probably a camera or two. Footsteps were heard coming from the darkness where the light was located.

Kyoko grinned. Of course they wouldn't let her steal these precious treasures so easily - that would have taken all the fun out of this burglary.

"Hands up and surrender the stolen items!" someone yelled from a loudspeaker. Kyoko instantly recognized the voice, her heartbeat quickening up a notch for three seconds before she was once again immersed in her role and not as "Kyoko". She was currently the master thief.

"Of course, officers. There are only three of you anyways," she said calmly, putting her hands up. Her lenses from under the mask analyzed the silhouettes of three men, confirming who they were. Two of the three men came out into the open. "Where's the other one? Is he afraid to meet the most wanted international thief? Or is he ashamed to see me again... out in the free since he wasn't able to catch me the first time?"

"Hmph. That's just Ren, he's controlling the lights and cameras at the moment. But I'll be the one to seize you... Kyoko." Shou stepped forward, his golden brown hair raging in the sudden wind. Reino also stepped forward, but he was silent.

"Heh... aren't you two as ashamed as him?"

"Not after tonight, my lovely dear," Reino spoke up, smirking. "Tonight, I can already see. Your accomplice is asleep and won't be able to help you escape. You have no disguises with you, and a woman in complete black is quite easy to spot once day should come. You won't be let out of our sight."

"Oh, really? Go back to hell, demon!"

"I'll take you with me as my lover," Reino mused.

"Sh-shut up!" Kyoko yelled before quickly closing her mouth. She was almost lured completely out of her role, she almost became herself. The self that wasn't able to do this. She had to stay focused. "The only person you'll be loving is dearest Setsuka."

"Who's Setsuka?" Shou demanded before Kyoko pulled out the treasured whip, swinging it at the light that was focused on her. The glass broke and the light flickered before going out completely.

"Shit!" Kyoko could hear Ren shout as his footsteps indicated that he was about to come out. Kyoko didn't like it when he got involved. Then the chase became too difficult to enjoy.

"Well, I'll be off," she hollered before escaping within the shadows of the building.

"After her!" Shou yelled, but Reino placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That's enough, Shou. She's gone."

Shou sighed with a ridiculous grin on his face. "Finally. Finally, we'll have the chance to go after her again! But this time... she's my prey. After five long years, we'll finally have the right to pursue her... Those last idiots who saw her barely had her case handled! But since we were her last witnesses, the case should be handed to us by tomorrow."

"She's mine for this case. Your simple way of getting sex-fronted information clearly isn't enough. You need psychic powers..."

"I'll be the one to find her," Ren suddenly appeared under the streetlamp light. "We're all after her. But your goals are simply your desire for her, to tame her, conquer her... to love her."

"So? Isn't that the same for you?" Shou said angrily. "Don't act all pompous, Tsuruga. You failed to catch her too, and our first encounter five years ago with that woman should have also clearly left an impact! She stunned everyone with a single appearance on that night five years ago, don't you remember!? Now after finally seeing her for a second time... a second encounter with her..."

"I remember..." Ren said darkly.

"Ren..." Reino said. "Your goal is impossible. Not to mention irrational and illegal without the consent of the head."

"What's his goal? Man, Reino, why's it only you with the ESP shit?"

"Shut up," Reino replied, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Ren simply looked towards the shadows where she escaped. The woman he fell in love with at first sight, just as the two before did; he finally had the opportunity, as the one of the last ones to see her, to have permission to go after her.

"My goal, Fuwa?"

"Yeah. Tell me," he said, pulling a cigarette and smoking it. Reino also was smoking a cigarette, waiting to see how Ren would say it, though he would probably be rather blunt.

'Yes, he was going to blunt.' Reino concluded with his sixth sense. Ren had a particular frown on his face as the moonlight shadowed his bones from his skin, rather eerily as his words slightly chilled Shou when he spoke in his deep voice.

"My goal..."

"Well?" Shou said, exhaling a cloud of smoke, impatient.

Ren sighed.

"My goal is to destroy Mogami Kyoko."


	2. Their Intentions

Pairings: KyokoxRen, Minor KyokoxShou and KyokoxReino.

Disclaimer: Skip Beat! is currently not in my possession nor is it my property in any way possibly possible and so.

Author's Note: I'm very happy to know that everyone likes this so much! Yes, the crazy cliffhanger last chapter must have had you guys wanting to claw at my neck for something like that, but Ren has his reasons... which I'll come up with later. This chapter should give you guys some background info on the characters, so sorry if that part's a bit boring... Anyways, please read and review! (: Thanks to those of you who have stuck with this story from the beginning and to those that are new to this fic! (:

Rating: Rated T as of now but is completely subject to change ;D

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

Full Summary: Kyoko is an international criminal. She has stolen all three of the Lory heirloom weapons: Setsuka's Chain Whip, Natsu's Glass Blade, and the Cursed Spear of Mio. There are currently three people assigned to arrest and retrieve the treasures back from her: Shou, the information seducer, Reino, the psychic phenomenon, and Ren, the master detective. Who will be the first to find her?

* * *

Kyoko quickly discarded her mask in a garbage disposal and, with the thick makeup on her face hiding her true identity, she hailed a taxi cab. "As close as I can get to Kyoto's airport with this please," she said as she pulled out a jeweled vase. "I don't have any money at the moment, but this should suffice, no?"

The cab driver was silent before speaking in a husky voice: "That will get you to the airport itself." Kyoko grinned as she handed over the valuable item, and the driver stashed it under the passenger seat beside them before calmly driving off.

The criminal found herself tightly hugging the stolen treasures under her clothes as the motion of the car lulled her to a light sleep.

* * *

Shou stood there, dumbfounded by Ren's statement. "You are fucking insane!"

Ren shrugged. "I suppose my state of mentality is a tad higher than yours."

"Why you-"

"Stop. She's on the run at the moment. The last thought I could detect from her mind was her needing to get out of Tokyo." Reino stepped into the conversation and Ren sighed. "We'll need to work together to find her."

"But we don't need each other to catch her. Once her whereabouts are known, I'm ditching the both of you, and I'll make her my lover," Shou said as he pulled out his cell phone and started to call Shouko, his right hand woman, for any information on Kyoko. He actually used to date Shouko before Kyoko came into his life. And how she did was very peculiar, really. A very long story.

"Who's to say you won't be the one being ditched?" Reino sighed as he walked off. "My cell phone will be on the whole time. I'll be investigating memories for now... She couldn't have gone far. She has no car, no one to back her up, and most likely no money. Anyone with enough common sense would know not to take her anywhere what with the stash of treasures she has." And with that, he left.

Ren took out his phone and texted Yashiro, his most trustworthy man who had always been there for him since day one in his career. "I'll be off then, Fuwa," he said before sauntering off, leaving Shou standing by the building alone.

Shouko walked out of the shadows towards her superior. "Shou..."

"Well?"

"One of my people seemed to have picked up a girl similar to your description of Kyoko and is currently taking her to our base."

Shou smiled. He was always the winner.

"Good."

* * *

Reino closed his eyes as he walked down the street, analyzing people's past memories.

One woman saw a girl in black calmly walking down the street. She was clutching onto her coat and her face was unseen in the dark. Kyoko was definitely here. Reino opened his eyes and looked around, but saw nothing but ordinary people. The peak of dawn wasn't too near, but it was certainly less dark than the woman's memories.

He began to look around for Kyoko just in case.

His ESP powers were limited. There was a certain time he could use it, and a certain time he couldn't. The amount of psychic powers he could use was always irregularly limited. His powers, however convenient, were rather spontaneous.

When he was around Kyoko, however... his powers would strangely become combusted and in a few minutes, recharge to its most powerful point. Five years ago was the day it happened, and two days later he figured it out.

And he had confirmed it today.

Kyoko would be his... no matter what.

He continued walking down the dark street. A surge of psychic sent chills down his spine, reminding him of how powerful Kyoko had made him. He found a man sitting down by a bus stop, who seems to have fallen asleep. He skimmed through the old man's memories, finding them of no use, as they were all figments of his imagination and fantasies. This old man was mental.

But one particular memory, far in the back of the rainbows and ponies, was a girl in black, holding her stomach carefully with one hand as she climbed into a taxi cab... One that looked too familiar.

He snapped out of the man's memories harshly, causing the man to wake up with a headache. "Ah," the old man muttered before his state of mentality lulled him back to sleep.

"Shit," Reino cursed as he began running towards his car by the building. "Shou's got a head start."

* * *

Ren was inside his car, Yashiro by his side. "Ren, she's heading towards... the part of town where's Fuwa's base is located."

"I'm going there."

For the other two men he was currently working with, that was their first encounter with her in five years. For him, however, the circumstances were much more different.

This was more than his second time seeing her. In fact, it was past his tenth, or maybe even his twentieth. All he knew was that he had managed to always see her these past five years... And it was because she was always finding him.

He never knew her intentions, because Reino was never in town when she came to see him. Of course, Ren would always be trying to chase her down under no orders from the head, which was illegal, but she would never let herself be caught. Along the chase, she always gave him a few words... But his last encounter with her was something to remember for the rest of his life.

_"Ren... Ren..." she said as she was backed up into a corner by Ren, who was holding a pistol at point blank. "Look, we can work this out. You can't be caught with finding me anyways, or you'll lose everything. Besides... there's a reason why I came to see you today, okay?"_

_"Spit it out," Ren said sternly, his gun still facing her. She was so small, so fragile-looking, her voice was so calm, but her entire being was shaking. Her act was going too far. He couldn't stand seeing her like this._

_"I-I just wanted to tell you..."_

_"What?"_

_"Do you know the reason why I always come to see you?"_

_"Why?"_

_"Because... I love you."_

_He froze still in shock, his words catching him by the throat and choking any words he might have said out of him. Using this to her advantage, she kicked the gun out of his hand and took it for herself. He was about to tackle her when she suddenly pulled the trigger._

_BAM!_

_His right thigh was bleeding profusely and the piercing pain caused him to scream in agony. Kyoko blew the gun off and threw it to the floor, the pistol now useless since it had run out of ammo._

_"I'm sorry," she whispered. Before leaving, Ren had caught a glimpse of her face._

_She was crying._

_But before she could leave, he took out a spitfire gun and spit a microchip into her scalp. That was his main intention for trapping her, but he didn't think it would lead to him getting shot and something else even worse._

_The chip stuck nicely, Kyoko not noticing it as she disappeared._

Ever since then, Ren had been able to track her down with it at all times. But he could never catch her, because the chip only reacted within a certain distance. If she ever got too far away, which she always did, she would disappear off the radar.

In any case... that night was the night he decided he would kill her. And it wasn't because she shot him in the fucking leg. It was because of the message behind her words, her actions, and her tears... that was what drove him to this conclusion, this goal. It was what motivated him, and he was certain of his interpretation. Kyoko must have wanted him to do something to help her.

But he wouldn't help her. No, he wouldn't fall for her trap, her little manipulation game. He'd eliminate her for trying to play him like a fool. It was plausible that her feelings were true but... No, there was no use in thinking about it over and over again when he had already made up his mind.

He sighed tiredly as he was close to where Shou's place was located, stopping at a red light. "Yashiro," he began when he saw that his partner was asleep. Ren had woken him up in the middle of the night... it was to be expected.

But one thing had him set off. Yashiro should not have fallen asleep.

"Yashiro!"

Because Kyoko was no longer on the radar.

* * *

"Hmm," Kyoko mused as the whip was secured against the driver's throat mercilessly. "Look. I know you work for Shou. Now... would you like to die or live?"

"I-I only serve Shou-sama!" The driver was apparently a woman.

'Of course,' Kyoko thought with a scoff. 'What female wouldn't serve Shou? That was sarcasm, by the way.'

"I assume that means you would rather die? You'll die, and then after you die, no one will be able to protect Shou. I'll make Shou die right after I'm done with you." She let the whip bite into the nape of the woman's neck harshly, her words slowly but effectively impacting the girl. At this rate, the victim won't be able to breathe soon. Kyoko wasn't about to be a murderer, but a little scare wouldn't kill her prey.

"No... I-I... I'll take you-u a-anywhere... Please s-spare me!" she choked on her words, tears spilling over her cheeks. She wouldn't let this woman kill Shou! There was no way but to follow Kyoko's orders now, but when she had the chance, she would make this criminal regret trying to kill her and her love.

Kyoko smiled before slowly and slightly relieving the pressure of the whip, though the whip was still around her throat. "What is your name, girl?" Kyoko asked.

"M-Mimori..." she mumbled reluctantly.

"Take me to the Kyoto airport, Mimori, or you will never see Fuwa Shou again."

That was enough for the driver to quicken her driving pace and steer out of the freeway heading for Shou's base. There was no helping Mimori now as she circled around the city after taking an exit and was now heading towards Kyoto, according to Kyoko's special lenses.

Kyoko took the whip away from her and slumped back into her seat. She tucked the black weapon away and took out Natsu's Glass Blade instead, unsheathing it. "As a warning, if you don't stick to the agenda here, Natsu here will starving for something red, sweet, and painful... Do you understand?"

Mimori looked in the rear mirror and saw the sharp blade in Kyoko's hands. "Y-yes..."

"Good." She was now on her way to Kyoto. Kanae should already be there by the time Kyoko got out of Tokyo. If it wasn't for her impeccable sense of danger, she would have never woken up and would have been driven straight into Shou's trap. That would have been humiliating.

The orange-haired woman pulled out her cell phone, dialed a number, and called it. The person on the other line picked up after a few rings, their voice dark and low. "Hello."

Kyoko perked up despite hearing the rather negative greeting of the person. "Hellooooo, Mokoooo-san!" she sang.

Kanae immediately hung up. Kyoko frowned slightly before calling again with a smile.

"You better stop that disgusting singing."

"Oh Moko-san, your words hurt me," Kyoko teased as their conversation started.

* * *

Shou kicked a table over. "What do you mean she isn't here yet?"

"I said, Shou-sama, Mimori is not here yet. We don't know what happened. During her last call, she told us she was on her way towards here and Kyoko was sound asleep inside the vehicle."

"What the fuck! It's been an half an hour since she called! From the museum to here should only take 20 minutes along the freeway, and at this time of night, the freeway should be half empty!"

"Shou-sama, we don't know-"

The woman was interrupted as the door was kicked open, the metal nails clanging against the floor as the door toppled down. Reino was standing in the doorway.

"Where's Kyoko?" the intruder demanded. This made Shou was about to explode. But not in front of this asshole.

"Not here yet, Reino. Are you so jealous that I've caught her first, to the point where you had to fucking kick down my door and-"

"She's gone, isn't she? Out of your grasp. Well, that was to be expected," Reino muttered as he turned around disappointingly. "Well, your head start is gone, and I've been misled. I would say that Ren is working his way towards the top now... But then again, maybe not. Nevertheless, I'll be calling him now." And he sped off on his motorcycle before Shou could retort.

"Fuck!" Shou cursed as he grabbed his keys. "Damn his ESP! Shouko, let's go, we have to head out. Bring your laptop along and find out any nearby airports and such and which ones Kyoko will most likely be going to. If you can, try to track down Mimori's car by hacking into the satellite."

"Yes," she replied as she started getting ready as quickly as possible. Shou headed out towards his car, running towards the fastest sports car he owned and jumping inside, with Shouko following suit. The engine revved loudly before he hightailed it out onto the freeway.

"Damn it Kyoko... I'm not about to lose you now!"


	3. Female Clashes

Pairings: KyokoxRen, Minor KyokoxShou and KyokoxReino.

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! in any way and I solemnly swear that I do not claim it as my own creation.

Author's Note: Hello everyone! Today was quite a back and forth day. Though I was late for my date with my boyfriend and had to walk from my high school to the restaurant in the rain with my friend, I got to enjoy delicious sushi and drink milk tea, yay! then I went to volunteer at a moon festival, where they gave out lots of goodies and I worked at a game booth and got recorded on TV o/o LOL.

Putting all history homework aside and the fact that I've got the shittiest physics and math teacher on the planet (I have an A in every class but those two goddammit) I'm constantly worrying that I won't make grades to continue cross country, and that's why I decided to post something to get my mind off of it.

So yeah, have a read and don't forget to drop off a review! They never fail to make my day and I could sure use some cheering up (':

Rating: Rated T as of now but is completely subject to change ;D

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Full Summary: Kyoko is an international criminal. She had stolen all three of the Lory heirloom weapons: Setsuka's Chain Whip, Natsu's Glass Blade, and the Cursed Spear of Mio. There are currently three people assigned to arrest and retrieve the treasures back from her: Shou, the information seducer, Reino, the psychic phenomenon, and Ren, the master detective. Who will be the first to find her?

* * *

Kyoko laughed haughtily as Mimori drove away, the jeweled vase still under her passenger seat. She'd chanted over and over again in her head for forgiveness from betraying Shou-sama. Hoping to never see him again before redeeming herself, she planned on fleeing Tokyo after dropping off Kyoko the demon.

Sighing, the orange haired beauty whisked into a public bathroom inside the airport, the door creaking noisily as she stepped inside, already changing out of her attire into a new one. Peeling off all her black clothing and revealing a grey, wool sweater with secret inside pockets and dark blue jeans, she threw the articles of clothing into the disposable box by the toilet paper rolls and exited the stall.

A woman stood still at the sinks when she came out, washing her hands slowly and subtly. Eying the stranger suspiciously, Kyoko slid back into the stall like a ninja.

She hadn't heard the woman come out of a stall. She heard no indication of the woman even being there - no flush of a toilet, no footsteps, not even the creaking of the door when it should have opened. How the hell was that woman even there? It was impossible... unless she was here beforehand and being silent purposefully.

Pulling dear Natsu out of her shell, she stepped outside of the hall and instantly clashed swords with the woman, who had been viciously waiting in front of her stall. Her long brown hair flew like serpents in the air, her abnormally large, hunter's dagger keeping up with Natsu on par.

Kyoko smiled. "Is that you, Shouko?"

Shouko became tense in her red jeans and black coat. This woman knew her name, so it must have been Kyoko, despite the appearance. "Long time no see, Kyoko. I almost didn't recognize you."

"It would have been quite unlucky if you slashed at an innocent, unarmed woman, no?"

"Indeed it would have."

Their eyes connected, static forming rapidly. The blades continued to apply a deadly pressure to each other before both retreated wearily. Shouko guarded the door carefully - Kyoko was cornered inside the bathroom. Sighing, the criminal sheathed Natsu again. Shouko eyed the cunning girl warily.

"Shouko, come now... We're regular acquaintances. We can settle our dispute another day without you having to follow Shou's orders. Though I have to admit, your swordsmanship had improved. Tracking me down was quite impressive as well. I'd assume that you tracked down Mimori's car?"

Shouko was quiet, not once replying. Kyoko was hoping for some answers, but even if she didn't answer, Kyoko would learn from this mistake of underestimating them. They were far more quicker than she expected them to be. But after all, this was Shou, and Shou was not a patient man. It was one of the pitiful reasons why Kyoko didn't like him very much.

"If you won't answer me... Then Setsuka will be asking the questions, okay?"

Shouko's eyes widened at the thought of a different accomplice than the one named Kanae. "Who's Setsu-"

Before the brunette could finish her sentence, Kyoko had taken out the whip and slashed it towards Shouko, where it wrapped around her wrist with the hand holding the dagger. In one mighty, force-filled heave, Kyoko yanked on the treasure.

Shouko staggered and dropped her weapon from the pain inflicted in her wrist as the whip first bit into and then released her now bloody wrist. She leaned against the wall as she held her bleeding wrist in pain, sinking down onto the floor.

Kyoko took this chance to rush past her, using Natsu's handle to slam it onto Shouko's head and efficiently knocking her out cold. Shouko had surrendered so that she wouldn't be hurt anymore, but Kyoko changed that and simply bade her unconscious.

The brunette blacked out in only two seconds. One second her eyes were dazed, the next closed.

Kyoko then quietly cracked the door open, peeking outside. Several people were outside though it was a dreary Tuesday morning. Even more suspicious, they were all standing still in one spot, either it was on a bench, standing behind a potted tree, or simply conversing with each other in the middle of nowhere. And even worse, they were all women.

Of course, Shou. Of course.

Still, Kyoko wouldn't be stopped by this.

Checking her watch and Moko's recent text, her flight would leave in half an hour, and the flight take-off section where she was supposed to be at to wait for her flight was on the third floor right above them. She either needed to speed up some stairs or skillfully get to the elevator.

Being the risque girl she was, she picked the riskier choice. Shou thought he would win this time, but Kyoko would prove him wrong yet again.

* * *

Ren closed his eyes. He had sent Yashiro off to get some rest after he was beating himself up from losing Kyoko.

Currently at the airport, he wasn't at the airport where Kyoko was. He was at a different airport, not even thinking once that Kyoko would be there because it was on the opposite side of Tokyo from where Kyoko was heading before the radar lost her.

Now, he sat on a bench, waiting in the area where the flight departure boarding area was. His white printed ticket was in his hand, slightly crumpled where he had held it.

The airport was quiet for an airport, but it was, after all, a pitiful Tuesday morning.

From the far side of the public place, Reino walked towards the man, holding two coffees in his hand and offering one to Ren once he arrived at where his partner sat. The master detective accepted it without so much as a word. The psychic then took a seat next to Ren, having an overwhelming atmosphere cast over and around them.

"You sure she's heading to America?" Reino questioned.

Ren pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and inhaling a long intake before exhaling tiredly. "Those three treasures aren't just three treasures," he explained. "Each has their own purpose, which is in their homeland. I don't remember which treasure goes with which area, but she'd be either going to America, Europe, or staying in Japan."

Reino nodded in understanding, but was still a bit confused despite reading Ren's mind. "Wouldn't she just stay in Japan and get one of the, erm, purposes over with already then? Since she's, you know, here?"

"The purposes need to be fulfilled in order."

"That makes more sense. But what does one get out of doing those purposes?" Reino asked again. He hated not knowing about things, but he couldn't go tapping into Ren's mind too much now because he had exhausted his power searching for Kyoko and then trying to find Ren afterwards - not to mention that Ren has a strong barrier around his thoughts so that even tapping into it with Kyoko's boost would still take up some amount of energy.

Ren was quiet before he spoke in a low whisper, looking around before turning back to Reino with a deadly serious face.

"The Red Dragon..." it was less than a mutter, almost a whisper.

_Plane Flight number 012 to San Francisco, CA, USA is now boarding passengers. Once again, Plane Flight 012 to San Francisco, CA, USA is now boarding passengers._

"What?" Reino asked, not quite catching what Ren just told him.

Ren shook his head. "Never mind. Let us board the plane, and pray tell my predictions are correct."

* * *

Kyoko was standing still, red jeans clinging onto her legs for dear life. Shouko was so skinny, Kyoko couldn't help but be a little jealous as she forced the double zero jeans onto her size zero butt. The black coat, which looked snug on Shouko, was now hugging her curves warmly as if it were latex. Unable to be completely merciless though, she shoved her old clothes onto Shouko's body before sighing.

The hair... The hair... Kyoko had already disposed of all her wigs, and she only had a black one left. But Shouko had brown hair, and it was long and luscious. The coat's hood covered most of her hair but not her uncontrollable side bangs. There wasn't much she could do about it.

Cracking the door a little open again, the ladies were still in their same place, although they seemed much more nervous that their little leader hadn't come out yet. One was standing particularly near the bathroom, standing alone. Kyoko could just barely see her shadow indicating that she was trying to stay hidden.

The elevator was only a few yards away. The stairs were right next to the bathroom, but it would mean having a female war. Kyoko wasn't up for a woman-slaughter, and she wasn't going to become a slaughterer for that stupid reason anyway.

One look at Shouko told Kyoko that she was still unconscious. Breathing in and out, the now disguised woman closed her eyes and prayed to the heavens for luck before opening the door and trying to memorize the way Shouko's voice sounded. A soft voice with a serious face, a serious voice with a serious face, her tone became deeper the more serious she was. Kyoko wondered if the people outside were even under Shouko or if Shouko was simply a decoy or a distraction.

She shook her head. Pushing aside all doubts and negative thoughts, she adjusted her hood, lowered her face, placed her cold, slender fingers onto the doorknob, and twisted it open while trying to count the nervous chickens inside her head.

The door creaked open, and all at once, every woman in the airport stared at Kyoko, who was calm on the outside. On the inside however, she was sweating bullet after bullet and lost track of the chickens. Her acting was starting to loosen, and would continue if she didn't have her mindset prepared. Meanwhile, a few women started forward towards the Shouko-alike.

Kyoko sped away from them as fast as she could go, barking orders as she made way for the elevator.

"She's not in the bathroom! Go up the stairs and search the airport! She may be in a disguise, so simply look out for anyone suspicious!" The ladies immediately paled before exiting their guard watch spot and headed up the stairs. Shouko's position was not one to be doubted... Or so Kyoko had, with a good amount of luck, sent. The girls under Shou all listened to Shouko not only because of Shouko's authority, but also because of the scary, dark aura emanating from Kyoko herself.

Smiling at her success, she pressed the button for the elevator, staring at the time on a nearby wall clock. It had been twenty minutes and she had ten minutes left to get to the flight departure area or she would be screwed and Moko-less. She decided that she did not want to be Moko-less.

The elevator chimed twice and the arrow pointing up glowed a bright green. The doors slid open and Kyoko was about to step inside in a hurry before stopping in her tracks to stare with a horrified expression on her face as she was pulled inside by the arm.

Slammed against the wall with two, rough hands on her shoulders, her hood had slid off and revealed her identity already. His blonde hair was dangerously ruffled up, and his face was so close to hers that she could feel his warm, strawberry breath on her lips.

She had screwed up.

"Sh-Shou," she stuttered in shock before she was quickly cut off by his lips crashing onto hers.


	4. Taking Flight

Pairings: KyokoxRen, Minor KyokoxShou and KyokoxReino.

Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! in any way because it's... well... not mine? (:

Author's Note: I'm sooo happy that so many people enjoy this story! It brings tears of happiness to my eyes ;u; and I'm very sorry for having neglected it! I'll try my best to still update even though there's about 3 super tough weeks of Cross Country left. Unfortunately, Track season comes up almost right after and conditioning starts in December... Gulp. But no matter!

Now, anyways, about the story. So far, you don't know much about the characters besides a few intentions and blah blah blah. But you don't really know about their past, right? Once you realize how everyone is connected, you'll see why I incorporated a little bit of OOCness in here. but this is various styles of acting after all, so OOCness shouldn't be anything new to Fanfiction. Just to explain for those who didn't like the OOCness of Kyoko (which I didn't really intend to make OOC). (:

Anyhoos, please enjoy the chapter!xv

Rating: Rated T as of now but is completely subject to change ;D

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Full Summary: Kyoko is an international criminal. She had stolen all three of the Lory heirloom weapons: Setsuka's Chain Whip, Natsu's Glass Blade, and the Cursed Spear of Mio. There are currently three people assigned to arrest and retrieve the treasures back from her: Shou, the information seducer, Reino, the psychic phenomenon, and Ren, the master detective. Who will be the first to find her?

* * *

His lips had crashed onto hers, the feeling of it causing her knees to go weak almost immediately. She would have broken her role to fall to the floor had he not been holding her up against the wall of the small elevator.

His tongue was begging to enter her lips, but her teeth were stubbornly gritted together. At this, Shou bit her bottom lip roughly and when she opened her mouth to yell in pain, instead of sound coming out, his tongue forced its way in.

With only one second to show surprise, she bit down harshly on the foreign flesh.

"Tch!" Shou removed his lips and spit some blood out of his mouth. "Kyoko..."

She stiffened. "Get away from me." But Shou held onto her wrists tighter, admiring the position they were in - his leg was nicely positioned between her legs, and his broad chest cascaded over her petite body, making her seem small and fragile despite her misleading title. "Let go!" she yelled, her eyes becoming large with expressions of hate and just a bit of fear, the kind of expression that he liked to see. If she hated him more, then she would never forget the hatred she would forever have for him, or at least until he could turn that into love. "I said," she now whispered in a furious breath, "to let go."

"I've waited too long for this," Shou murmured in her ear, his voice coated with lust. "For once, my plans triumph yours."

"It was a fluke," she spat. "Beginner's luck." The dark malice in her voice did not faze Shou.

"I'm no beginner," Shou smirked, leaning in to kiss the nape of her neck. "I'm quite... experienced."

Kyoko held her breath as his lips softly grazed her bosom before settling upon the right side of her lower neck, and began sucking on the pale, sensitive skin. The detective placed a hickey on her neck, dark and red. "And now, you're my territory." He laid his gaze on her soft, tangerine hair before looking into Kyoko's broad, stimulating eyes.

She growled, and wanting revenge for that strange feeling he had forced on her, bit into his neck. She wanted to cause him the same pain, but he only smirked some more. "Marking me as well? I'm touched - tch!" he stopped abruptly as he felt her teeth draw blood, pulling away from her mouth, as his body's unblemished looks were his life. "What are you doing? That hurts-"

Knowing now that he was off guard, Kyoko rapidly mounted her knee up.

"Oof!" With an enraged expression, she forced the blonde man to shrivel to the floor. His hands were now desperately trying to soothe his precious jewels, holding them delicately as he groaned in absolute pain. Shou bit his tongue in the middle of a curse before keeling over and falling on his side in misery.

The thief tended to her wrists, which were probably bruised from Shou's strong grip on them. 'Damn his strength!' she thought as she rubbed the pain out of them. Kyoko then sighed, lightly touching the fresh love mark on her neck. "You disgusting, stupid, selfish bastard!" she let herself yell at him to release frustration before resuming her role.

"But... it's nothing a little make up can't conceal." Coughing, she spit out a big wad of saliva right in front of his face. "And that kiss was terrible. Your skills are sub-par for a seducer."

Shou could only groan in reply as he realized that her knee had quite the strength. The doors of the elevator soon opened after Kyoko had frightfully bashed the buttons. "Goodbye, Shou. Maybe you should have brought some back up. That's pathetic and overconfident of you not to."

He simply looked up with a weary grin. "It's of no matter to me. I have your first kiss, and that alone is a great achievement in my book."

"You..." she almost blushed in shame and embarrassment. "You're pathetic!"

Kyoko glared icily at him before turning on her heel and leaving him, the doors closing in her wake. He chuckled as he slowly got up and found his women trying to help him up in the elevator a while later, though he thought bitterly of how it took them nearly five whole minutes to do so. That was dawdling speed.

Shouko looked worriedly into his eyes now, also noticing the bite mark on his neck. In turn, he was also surprised to see the different clothes on her. "Shouko, what are you wearing? Those clothes look a little big on you."

She pulled up the jeans that she did not own and pouted. "Ask your lover. She gave these to me and took my beloved piece of closet."

The seducing detective laughed before he closed his eyes and stumbled out of the boarding area, his army close behind him. "I'm tired. I'm going to call Ren and Reino... her plane is already gone." he said as he took notice of the wide screen displaying flights before his eyes in the middle of the room.

The latest one that just flew was San Francisco, London, and Beijing. He would have to take a lucky guess.

"Oh, and Shouko, get a ticket for San Francisco, London, and Beijing as quickly as possible." he immediately dialed Ren and Reino's number, not willing to take a chance with the tickets. To his misfortune, none of them picked up and he became irritated.

Fine, then he would guess. Shouko came over with the tickets.

"We're going to London," he said with finality, he prayed that he was right.

* * *

Moko stood in the non-existent line, waiting for her stupid partner to come. All the other passengers had boarded, and if it weren't for her having Kyoko's ticket, she would've gone in and saved some seats as well. The raven-haired girl was sure that there were only back seats left, and she despised going in the back. Imagine all the people she would have to pass through!

The flight attendant tapped her feet impatiently by the desk, clicking her tongue as she crossed her arms. "Are you going to keep waiting for your friend? The doors are closing in three minutes."

Moko glared at the sassy woman and she quickly became quiet. She glanced over towards the stairs and the elevator, where Kyoko was nowhere in sight. At first, when she saw the stairs a while ago, a stampede of women shot up from the stairs, searched the entire floor, and then took the elevator back down about ten minutes ago.

A few seconds after that thought, Kyoko appeared, running up the stairs while rubbing her mouth with her sleeve furiously as she sprinted over to Moko. "I-I'm not late..?" she panted as Moko sighed and gave the tickets to the flight attendant. The little attendant took the tickets impatiently and the two walked in through the hallway passage into the plane, where they greeted the pilot and took their seats all the way in the back.

Kyoko helped Moko shove their suitcases into the upper compartments before slouching down into their seats, buckling up while the speakers blared annoying instructions about safety and rules.

"So, what took you so long?" Moko asked with a hint of annoyance. "Usually you aren't this slow with the escape."

Kyoko suddenly remembered what happened and continued to rub her mouth with her sleeve.

"Got kissed?"

No reply.

"Figures."

Kyoko stared at her accomplice with eyes brimming with tears. "M-M-Mokoooooooo! How will I get married noooooow?" she wailed as she sobbed into Moko's shoulder. Moko sighed and uncomfortably patted her back, wondering who the kisser was. But she didn't want to invoke any more emotions from the orange head anymore.

"Erm, anyways, our first destination should be for America. We're hitting San Francisco, CA and then driving down towards Santa Cruz Bay where the purpose has to be fulfilled for the glass blade."

"Natsu's Glass Blade?"

Moko nodded. "Apparently there's a glass waterfall there and a priest who owns it. He should able to tell us what to do from there, so long as we're intimidating." She scanned the map on her iPhone, scrolling down the page with her smooth, slender finger. "We'll need to get a car or something."

Kyoko shrugged, already putting the past behind. Moko really was her strength. "Can't be that hard with you around."

Moko scoffed. "Of course not."

The plane took off from the airport as the two women talked about their upcoming adventurous journey.

* * *

Ren, yet again, caught a flight attendant holding his and Reino's purchased meals on his lap. She laughed with undistinguished cackles, apologizing for her "sudden clumsiness" and offered him free alcohol for compensation. He took one look at Reino, and his face said it all.

"No thank you," Ren told the lady as he took the food, which were two croissant sandwiches. "We don't drink."

"You're missing out on quite a lot," she giggled before moving down the aisle. Ren slouched in his seat as he handed a sandwich to Reino.

"She was going to give you a heavy dose of alcohol and try to have her way with you," Reino spat with disgust. "She thinks that you think she's beautiful with the way you 'keep on making eye contact and gestures to her'."

"I was trying to get her attention so that we could have something to sustain ourselves with," he snapped. Reino snorted.

"How long until we get there?" he decided to change the topic.

Ren shrugged. "A couple more hours, maybe seven or so. Once we get there, we'll have to make a lucky guess on whether Kyoko got there ahead of us and left already or she's behind us in a plane right now."

"I say that Shou might have stalled her a bit, so she's behind us."

"You truly think Shou was able to even catch a glimpse of her? I doubt he even got that much of an opportunity."

"... You're right. We should just go ahead."

Ren examined the map on his tablet and traced a finger down a red path streaking up the state of California in America. "Their next destination should be around the coastal area... I can't remember the exact place." He placed a finger right next to Santa Cruz. "Around here?"

Reino shrugged. "I don't even know why they're going there except for this Red Dragon you spoke of and never explained to me."

Ren bit into his sandwich and chewed slowly, swallowing it a few minutes later. "The Red Dragon is... is a power, you might say. it's actually a fabled myth, so I'm not sure why she's after something fake. It's a story that Lory himself told me ages ago, but I never paid too much attention to it besides the places he describes where to go, how the weapons go in each place and has a certain purpose, and the power in the end. My vague memory is our lead, basically, and I have no clue as to why she would want something mythical."

"Unless it isn't mythical," Reino said. "Unless Lory was talking seriously to you and it wasn't just a fantasy story like you thought."

Just about to laugh the thought off, Ren sudden;y went silent. Reino stared at him, surprised to see Ren frozen in the shock of a realization. "Ren?" No answer. "Tsuruga Ren? What's wrong?"

"I just remembered something important."

"What?"

"Kyoko..."

"What about her?"

"... Lory once broadcasted that same story on a television show once. During that show as he was being recorded live, telling that same fable to a crowd of guests invited by him, that was when we first saw her... at the banquet for the anniversary of LME."

"You're right," Reino mused. "But that just means that she must have learned of this from that day."

"No," Ren shook his head. "It means that she had been planning this from a very, very long time ago. To only start it now... it only means she has many tricks up her sleeve. Not to mention we know nothing of her accomplice besides the fact that she can steal cars like taking candy from a baby."

"She was a mystery to begin with," Reino sighed.

Ren closed his eyes, both his mind and body exhausted to the pont that even Reino could feel it. "I'm tired. Wake me up an hour before we reach our destination so we discuss among other things."

"I'll ask the flirty lady to do that for us. I need to rest as well."

And the both of them succumbed to their fatigue in the soft rumble of the flight.


	5. Third Encounter

Pairings: KyokoxRen, Minor KyokoxShou and KyokoxReino.

Disclaimer: Skip Beat has skipped me as an owner and beat me to the side. Yes, I'm very punny. Don't judge me.

Author's Note: Hello everyone, sorry for the wait! I'm currently doing my best to update most of my stories, and I'm doing pretty well so far. I think this one is moving a bit quick though... Meh, who cares. I like my stories quick and to the point - none of that stalling filler crap. So I hope you guys will understand that quality is better than quantity! (; And enjoy the chapter okay! Love you all for the reviews too! (: They all really made my day. Especially when the the first semester is constantly pummeling me down with work. Yes, I feel that school is about as unintentionally intentionally sadistic as Ren.

Rating: Rated T as of now but is completely subject to change ;D

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

Full Summary: Kyoko is an international criminal. She had stolen all three of the Lory heirloom weapons: Setsuka's Chain Whip, Natsu's Glass Blade, and the Cursed Spear of Mio. There are currently three people assigned to arrest and retrieve the treasures back from her: Shou, the information seducer, Reino, the psychic phenomenon, and Ren, the master detective. Who will be the first to find her?

* * *

Kyoko sighed in happiness.

She and Moko were finally going to set their plan in motion and achieve the Red Dragon's power. With that, they both would be able to have their most precious wishes granted.

And Kyoko's wish was one wish that couldn't be granted without the Red Dragon, for only that kind of deity power could do it for her. Getting the power shouldn't be too difficult, after all, all the ones after the power before were weak, greedy, and very ugly, idiotic men. Now, two smart conservative beauties were going for it. And hell, they were not going to be stopped.

Not even by that stupid seducer.

Not even by that insane mind reader.

Not even by HIM. Tsuruga Ren...

Kyoko gave out a smile. That was one name she found that she couldn't hate. He was much too... how would someone word this? He was intriguing. And she was sure that he found her the same way.

Now to figure why he wanted to kill her was completely something else. Things had gone differently from what she had been thinking. She thought he loved her, or at least somewhat liked her... But no, it was the complete opposite! Damn.

"Your face gets so ugly when you're displaying over twenty different facial expressions within a time span of two minutes," Moko commented as she curved dangerously on the freeway, nearly colliding with a large truck.

"Moko, careful!" Kyoko stammered, inching away from the car door next to her. "I don't want to die just yet...There's nowhere to run in this car! This very tiny car, to be more precise." She stared at the side mirror, mimicking her past expressions. "Eh, I don't look that bad..."

Moko shrugged, increasing the speed, which was already far past the speed limit. "Didn't want to attract attention. And actually, you do."

"At the rate you're driving, I think that's been crossed off the list a looooong time ago. And I don't!"

"Hn." She rolled her eyes and in doing so, swerved straight into the side of a car.

_BAM!_

Collision number one established. "Moko!" Kyoko cried as she just barely dodged the dent that went halfway through her seat. The other damaged car flew to their side of the road before it crashed into the trees. "I could have died!"

"Hn."

"Wah, Moko is so mean!"

More banter continued as the two continued their way towards their destination, with Santa Cruz being only another hour away. That meant Kyoko had to do her best to stay alive in that one chaotic hour coming up. One collision down, god knows how many more within the hour trip.

Seriously, she should not have let Moko drink on the airplane before driving...

* * *

"Where are we again?" Ren asked Reino as they stood in the middle of a freeway, their thumbs up gesturing for a hitchhike ride if possible. Somehow, they ended up there in the middle of the road in the woods. It was kind of a funny, long story.

Reino sighed. "My powers are low. I don't know. All I know is that no one wants to give us a ride."

"Only one car has passed, Reino."

"My point exactly."

What happened was, when the two got off their plane in America, they immediately took a taxi with their luggage to a hotel Ren had reserved a room at near Santa Cruz. At a rest stop along the freeway, the two had gotten off to use the bathroom and stretch.

When they came back to the parking lot, the said taxi was long gone - with their luggage, research notes, and weapons. Now all the two had were one pistol each, their wallets, and their phones - which had no signal whatsoever. The said taxi was seen in the corner of their eyes just barely leaving the area.

To make the long story short, they chased after the cab with no luck and ended where they were now.

"I hate that taxi driver," Reino muttered. "I ought to curse him."

"Feel free to do so," Ren said, continuously checking his phone for some signal or any calls and texts, but to no avail. "I cannot believe that you didn't pick up his negative intentions."

"I told you that my powers were on low! I haven't seen Kyoko in a while, and-" Reino suddenly paused, and Ren noticed the change in his demeanor. "Kyoko."

"What? Is she near?"

"She's rejuvenating my powers. She's definitely near. She's got to be." He lifted his arm and pointed his index finger to nowhere in particular, closing his eyes to pinpoint the exact location of his power charger. "There," he announced, pointing to the east. "That's where my powers feel the most strength from."

He glanced back at Ren. "You... you really are pissed off from the whole taxi dilemma, aren't you."

"You don't need ESP to figure that out," Ren spat.

"Straight into the woods," Reino pointed to the east again, ignoring that remark. "I'm not 100% sure it's Kyoko, but there really is nothing else that can give me so much psychic strength from just being within distance."

His partner nodded. "We've got some hiking to do then," Ren muttered, trudging into the woods from the road straightforward as Reino followed behind.

* * *

Shou screamed in agony.

No one by the name of Kyoko nor Moko, nor any of their past identities that Shou had researched had even been near London. Despite having searched so thoroughly for the past few hours, nothing had come up.

Seducing the airport manager hadn't been difficult since it was a relatively easy-to-please woman. He gave her an hour of pleasure before she allowed him complete access to the entire airport. He had taken the privilege and used it until it reached the boundaries, which was trying to stop the entire airport to do his searches.

That was a bit impossible. He had to agree that he was overdoing that a bit himself.

"Tch. She didn't come here," he groaned. "And there's nothing to do here either. I'll be leaving then," he muttered as he stood up from his chair inside the airport manager's office. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"W-Wait," she said. "Don't you want to stay with me? We could be together forever. That woman is stupid for running away from a handsome, strong man like you anyways. I'm surely more pleasurable than her as well," she purred on top of her desk, eagerly spreading her legs already.

Shou sighed in disgust. The slut had no decency. "Goodbye."

"Wait! Wait! D-Don't you want power! Power, yes, the greatest power in all of the world? Isn't that why you thought your friend came here? Isn't that why you came here?" she panicked.

"Power? I have no need for such a thing, but..." Curiosity had gotten the better of him, "What is this power you speak of?"

She smiled. It may have been a family secret for the past generations, but this man was worth it. It's not like she would be able to achieve the power on her own anyways. With this man and his powerful aid, she would find the power, and then she would use it to make him hers - and even all the other handsome, rich men the Earth had to offer. And without her... he wouldn't be able to find the power either, so he would stay with her. Yes, he would be hers. So what if she was spilling the old, sacred beans?

"The Red Dragon," the woman breathed.

"And what is that?" Shou said impatiently. She had been thinking a little too long. He was starting to think it was a bluff, but something about what she said sounded strangely familiar to him.

"You might not believe me, but it's very true, and very powerful. It will give you the power to grant any wish you desire in the universe. It is a grand magic that almost no one knows of."

"If it's so grand, why does almost no one know it?"

"According to my family's Matsunai legends, the last time the power of the Red Dragon was unleashed, he bade the entire world to forget the whole ordeal because his wishes were too cruel and made the Earth itself begin to crumble. He wanted the entire world to go back to its original self and sealed half of its magic into three items. The other half stayed hidden with the Red Dragon."

An eyebrow was raised. "Who was the one who did all that?" Shou continued. Ruriko knew now that she had him captured.

"For every piece of information..." she whispered in his ear from atop the desk. "There is a price." She began shedding her clothes, her blazer thrown to the side, her blouse hanging off the desk, her skirt on the floor. The left strap of her bra slid down her shoulder, leaving her in what she thought was a seductive pose. "Hm, Shou?"

Shou sighed. "We just did it a few hours ago, Ruriko. Aren't you in the least bit tired?" She was indeed a slut.

"There is always a price," she smiled sweetly as she repeated that cursed statement hanging in the air.

Shou, heaving an angry sigh, reluctantly grabbed her by the arm and their lips crushed together.

* * *

Kyoko glanced at the woods. "There's no car path?"

"We have to walk now," Moko nodded. The two left the car on the side of the road, with Moko having efficiently ripped the license plate off their car and locking it, the keys hanging nonchalantly from her belt loop. "There's no other way there. The man is secluded."

"Is he the one who used the power then?" Kyoko asked.

"No, he's just one of those who owed the one using the power. And he ended up here," Moko concluded.

"Ah, yes." The two left the side of the road, going further into the forest. Trees were everywhere, vines intertwining everything together in the dark. The sunlight had difficulty seeping into the darkness through the little gaps the canopy had to offer. In the silence, the rustle of leaves caused the two to halt.

"Wh-what was that?" Kyoko whispered, instantly latching onto her accomplice's arm. Moko was as stiff as a stick as she scanned the forest.

"Shh. Listen," she said, and Kyoko did so. In the distance were two figures, bumbling about through the forest like them. "I thought the old man was secluded... why are there people here?" She felt Kyoko stiffen beside her. "Kyoko?"

"Moko... don't you recognize them?" she said in a serious tone. Moko looked further, and noticed that the two were inching closer to them. The two thieves instantly dashed behind the trees, separated by the small walking space in between the trees. The two walked slightly past them before stopping.

"I can hear... thoughts," the man muttered as a minute passed. "The thoughts disappeared."

"Which means?" the other man spoke.

"Kyoko," Reino smirked as Kyoko and Moko stood in the open, both with serious, agitated expressions. They were most definitely not planning to see the two of them here, and they had to give the two men some credit for that. Reino and Ren turned around, and four on both sides glared at each other.

Things had just gotten messier.

"Reino, you don't know when to quit, don't you?" Kyoko said. "And Ren, following him. I expected more of you, actually."

"It led me to you, and that's all I need."

"Shut up," Moko stated. It really did shut everyone up. The four of them stood still, none daring to make a move. All sunlight ceased to shine in the forest, the lighting in the forest close to darkness. Not a single noise was heard, no rustle of leaves, no birds chirping, not even the faint whoosh of a breeze.

The tension in the air was deafening as Ren, within the blink of an eye, held up his gun and pulled the trigger.


	6. Crimson Moon

Pairings: KyokoxRen, Minor KyokoxShou and KyokoxReino.

Disclaimer: Don't own Skip Beat, boo hoo ):

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! :D I've been really busy! This chapter was pretty rushed so please excuse any mistakes and unpleasant writing! xD It's a little shorter than my other chapters so I'm very sorry ): I promise to do a better job next time when I actually have proper time for updating! :D Have a good read anyways!

Also, if you enjoy this story, please vote on the poll on my profile for a chance to have this story more frequently updated! Thanks!

Rating: Rated T as of now but is completely subject to change ;D

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

Full Summary: Kyoko is an international criminal. She had stolen all three of the Lory heirloom weapons: Setsuka's Chain Whip, Natsu's Glass Blade, and the Cursed Spear of Mio. There are currently three people assigned to arrest and retrieve the treasures back from her: Shou, the information seducer, Reino, the psychic phenomenon, and Ren, the master detective. Who will be the first to find her?

* * *

Kanae screamed.

Kyoko had just barely made it in time to save herself by whipping out her bulletproof glass compact mirror and deflecting the bullet straight into the ground, the hole still smoking from the intensity. The three were amazed at her reflexes, speechless as she spoke. "Nice try, Ren."

"Hn," he sighed in defeat, lowering his gun. "As always, your reflexes are absolutely perfect."

"If I wasn't this perfect, how could I ever be comparable by your side?" Kyoko breathed before instantly blushing. "Ah, wait, no, I mean-"

"Kyoko, your act," Kanae reminded her mid-sentence by slamming her clenched fist onto Kyoko's hard head. Kyoko turned around while clutching her skull, whimpered for a second, and then spun around like those strange few moments never happened. Ren wasn't surprised, but Reino found that new side of Kyoko that he just saw as rather... cute. And strange.

"Anyhow, you two won't live to see any more than this." Kyoko looked around, trying to find a different presence but came up with nothing. "Where's Shou?"

"Tch. So he's the most important out of all of us?" Reino laughed lightly, a darker shadow cast on his face. He didn't want to admit it, but the fact that he couldn't look into both of the girls' minds made him furious, especially when his love interest is asking about another man, who happened to be a rival. "Your tastes have downgraded, my dear."

"None of you are suitable to my taste," Kyoko glared at Reino while he shrugged carelessly. When she said that, she didn't dare look at Ren, whose rough hand was still clutching the gun to the point that his knuckles went white.

'He must really hate me. What did I do wrong?' Kyoko tried to think of an answer to that question. Maybe she was coming on too strong to him? Or is it...

Ren's gun went back up, but this time he didn't shoot. "Surrender the treasures now Kyoko, and I won't shoot. And this time... I won't miss your heart."

Reino couldn't read Ren's mind either - he didn't know if these three had some sort of barriers when it came down to mind reading, but sometimes he could steal a glimpse into their thoughts. That was as much as he could do though, and when he glimpsed into Ren's, only one word was visible.

_KILL._

'Well, that's Ren for you.'

Kyoko sighed before cracking her neck and knuckles, stretching her arms and legs a bit as everyone stared at her. Even Kanae didn't know what the hell she was doing. "Kyoko... What are doing?"

Kyoko simply looked up at her partner as if everything was normal and only smiled. "Getting ready."

"This isn't the time to chat, ladies," Reino clicked his tongue impatiently. "Hand it over or hand your bodies over."

"You say that as if our bodies are what you're _really_ after, Reino... Would you rather have that than the treasures?" Kyoko teased as she brushed the tangerine strands from her forehead to the side, positioning herself in a ready stance as Kanae followed up. "You guys aren't going to win. We may have the same number of people, but your ESP isn't too helpful at the moment."

"You always manage to see right through me, Kyoko... But you see, those treasure are the priority at the moment. However, with this I could possibly kill two birds with one st-" Reino began, but before he could finish his sentence, Ren let loose yet another bullet, his finger keeping the trigger down even after the smoke blew off the tip.

Expecting a scream or a sound of impact, Reino kept his senses ready.

But no sound was heard in the dark forest around them. Instead, fog drove into the forest, and the two were frozen still... For the two women in front of them had completely disappeared into thin air. Not even the silver bullet Ren had shot remained.

Reino looked around in vain, frowning in distress. "They're gone."

* * *

Shou sat with Ruriko on the bed, both leaning against the wall completely naked while Shou read some newspaper. Ruriko was watching the television while she was eating hotel service food. Both were not satisfied.

"I want to know more about the Red Dragon," Shou demanded.

"Well, you know what? I wanted better sex!" Ruriko screamed back.

"Well, you aren't getting quality sex until I get quality information!"

"Well, you aren't getting quality information until I get something just as equal!"

"You aren't getting sex!"

"You aren't getting the Red Dragon!"

This fight had been going on for hours already. The two would spar for a short time before giving up and resuming their original activities until the other brought the topic up again. The argument repeated and then the entire cycle repeated. Life began to suck for Fuwa Shou.

Finally, after the umpteenth argument, Shou stood up and threw the newspaper on the bed, quickly picking up his clothes from the floor and putting them back on. "Wh-where do you think you're going?" Ruriko shouted as she stayed in the bed beneath the covers, panicking.

"Away from you, bitch," Shou scowled as he finished dressing and began walking out of the room. "Besides, I think I have enough information from you. I don't need you anymore." He was quite sure of that as well.

Ruriko grimaced. During the nightly intercourse, he had milked every little thing she knew about the Red Dragon out of her mind. He knew everything she knew, and now he knew that. She wasn't about to admit it though, because she still needed his ass. His extremely nice ass. "You still need me! I know far more than you think I do!"

"Just cut the crap already," Shou groaned as he walked out the door of her apartment and slammed the door shut without bothering to lock it. The tired male began heading down the stairs, ready to search up a few things on the Red Dragon since he knew the stupid woman had nothing left to hold him back with. His skills in bed had made sure he got every little detail out of her.

From what he had learned from Ruriko so far, there was no point in chasing the orange-haired thief. It would only be a matter of time before Kyoko came to him. And when she did, he would definitely be prepared. More prepared than Ren and Reino would ever be.

Even the daring female wouldn't be able to escape his wrath. Shou whipped out his cell phone, pressing speed dial for Shouko. The phone only rang twice before his most trustworthy accomplice picked up to answer his call.

"Hello," Shouko talked immediately as soon as the line between the two was established. "Is there something you need during this particular time of night?"

"I left Ruriko. Pick me up in front of her mailbox. Go over to the "M" section since her last name is Matsunai. When you're almost here, inform me by calling if it takes longer than ten minutes."

"Yes. I will be there in less than ten minutes, Shou. Please be ready." The line went dead after her sentence.

Not long after the call, a bright red convertible pulled up onto the streets and zoomed towards the tall blonde. Shou quickly walked over and climbed into the passenger seat, lying down on the adjusted chair. "Did you find out much about anything related to Kyoko?" she asked as she steered away from Ruriko's house.

"No, but I found some other interesting information that is related to Kyoko and the stolen artifacts that Lory owned." Shou sat up and pulled a cigarette, lighting it and taking a deep breath. Shouko rolled down the windows as he exhaled, turning into a hotel that she had just reserved a room for - with double beds.

"She was useful, but she literally sucked the living life out of me."

"Into her mouth through your dick, I assume?"

"It'll probably go straight out her ass, I'm telling you. It's quite loose."

"You never fail to surprise and disgust me, Shou," Shouko let a soft smile pull at her lips as she drove into the parking space. "Come on, let's go-" She was quickly cut off by a short, sweet kiss... on the cheek.

"That's for thanks," Shou smirked as he got out of the car. Shouko sat still for a few moments to shake off the blush that formed on her cheeks before her smile became warmer. He did things to her that she couldn't describe. "Did you enjoy London so far with the others?"

"We did plenty of shopping... The city is beautiful. We should go out sometime when you aren't too busy, like a lunch break."

"That'd be nice," he smiled at her and almost tore her resolve into pieces. It was painful to support his happiness in this manner, but his happiness was what was important. If that meant she would have an unrequited love forever, as long as she got to stay by his side, it would be okay.

The sound of his angelic voice broke into her train of thought. "Shouko, you coming in or what?" the blonde man stood outside her door, opening it for her. "Let's go." His partner chuckled as she exited the vehicle. "What's so funny?"

The two locked arms as they entered the extravagant building.

"Nothing... Nothing at all," she whispered.

* * *

It was approximately 8:45 P.M.

Lory sat in his seat, chuckling to himself as he watched a film. The film was black-and-white, but everything in the video seemed too real and amazing to not be in color. There were some amazing special effects and scenes in them that he could not describe if he were in the past at this very moment when they still had video tapes. Anyone in the past who saw this would know that this was no ordinary film, but people in the current time wouldn't give it a second thought. After all... they would just think that they were special effects. Lory knew otherwise.

"I'm glad that no one troublesome knows just yet." Lory sighed, swirling the wine inside of his glass goblet. "The Red Dragon..." He downed the cup in an instant before setting the cup onto the table. As he sat down, his hand lightly shoved it by accident, letting it shatter into several pieces, but still unacknowledged.

"No one can have that power. And when she tries to tamper with the Red Dragon," he mused, "I won't be the only one who has visited hell."

Upon hearing the loud breaking noise, two maids came rushing inside the room. "Are you alright, sir?" they asked in a panic, but Lory only smiled.

"Of course I'm fine. Has anyone seen Maria? Come call her to me." He gave an eerie smile once again.

"Is something the matter?" One of the women asked. Lory shook his head as he stared outside the window to look at the night. There weren't any stars out, only the dark blanket of sky with gray clouds. And in the very middle of all that was a deep, crimson red moon. Not wanting to see it anymore, he pulled the curtains together to cover up the unusually colored moon that people would often regard as a beauty. "You don't usually call for Maria during this time of night."

"Of course not, it's much past her curfew at the moment," Lory said as he sat down by the window sill on a chair, sipping red wine from a new glass in a relaxed demeanor. "Tonight is an exception."

"I'll go get her now, sir. Is there any particular reason why...?"

The president set down his goblet slowly, glass meeting wood.

"I'm suddenly in the mood to tell a story..."


End file.
